Shows are a big investment, and often one of the biggest events in a business’s marketing calendar.

Whether it’s an agricultural event or a trade show, you’re there for a reason: to be seen, increase brand awareness, build relationships and ideally, to sell products/services.

And while every show is slightly different, the way you prepare for them is similar. The businesses that get the most out of shows are the ones that plan properly, and start early.

Start much earlier than you think

With shows being such a big investment, it’s important to get as much out of your time there as possible. If people don’t know you’re going, you’re relying on the footfall alone. We would recommend thinking about announcing that you’re exhibiting at the show; sharing what you’ll be showcasing; inviting customers and suppliers to come and see you, and posting on socials regularly and tagging the show organisers in the lead-up to the event. It may even be beneficial to run a social media ad campaign to gain more exposure to new audiences.

This may help to pique the interest of people in your audience who are familiar with your brand, but haven’t interacted/bought from you before, and encourage them to pay a visit if they are attending the show (or encourage them to visit to see you!)

Get your messaging right

When someone walks past your stand, you’ve got a few seconds to grab their attention. What do you want them to know? This is where simple, strong messaging makes a big difference – on your signage, throughout your marketing collateral, and in the communications leading up to the event.

Stand design

You don’t need the biggest, most extravagant stand at the show, but you do need one that feels inviting. Not everyone is comfortable walking up and starting a conversation, so considering your stand layout and design is important.

Think about:

• Ensuring it is open and easy to approach

• Messaging is visually clear and not overcrowded with information

• Consistent with your brand – easily recognisable

• Having a clear welcome point/something to look at or interact with

• Simple conversation starters that don’t feel too salesy

• Even offering a brew or something to sample

It helps to take the pressure off and make people feel more comfortable, and hopefully more likely to engage!

Consider your printed materials

Brochures, leaflets, banners, business cards, branded items – they still matter to help remind your potential customers of the conversations you’ve had and the products/services you have to offer. Plus, who doesn’t love a freebie?

We can help you to produce printed materials and merchandise that’s on brand, easy to read, clearly explains what you do, and gives people something to take away and remember you by.

Think about what happens after

Don’t miss the opportunity of having a strong follow-up plan after the show! You’ve had conversations, met new potential customers, now what do you do? We recommend trying to collect some information from people you chat with to build a database, and following up while the conversations are still fresh: sending emails after the event, connecting on LinkedIn, sending further relevant information, and adding new contacts to your mailing lists.

Where we can help

We support clients with:

• Campaign planning in the lead-up to shows

• Designing stands, banners and printed materials (check out the work we produced for TeeJet and Bowland Lakes Leisure Village)

• Email campaigns to invite people along

• Social Media content before, during and after the event

Get in touch today if you would like to discuss your show campaign plan!

There’s nothing we love more than a good farm shop; we always end up popping into our local ones for a couple of things, and leaving with a basket full!

More and more consumers are starting to place value in knowing where their food comes from, supporting local businesses, and buying produce that feels like a bit of a treat rather than just the regular weekly shop.

A 2022 study found that British farm shops generate a huge £1.4billion in sales a year, and most farm shops have see growth over the past few years (Farm Retail). And research fromSpeciality Food Magazine found that over half of consumers are actively trying to eat more healthily (Speciality Food Magazine) – which places even more emphasis on the popularity of local, fresh, traceable food.

But, at the same time, there are growing number of farm shops, so many customers are expecting more than just good produce. The question isn’t really “are farm shops in demand?” it’s how do you stand out, and how do you keep customers coming back?

Find your gap

A lot of farm shops can look quite similar on the surface: local produce, a butcher’s counter, maybe some baked goods. The ones that do well usually offer something slightly different too.

Research from Savills highlights there are some simple opportunities being missed, for example, a very small number of farm shops stay open past 6pm, despite this perhaps being a more convenient time for many people to visit.

It might be opening later a couple of evenings a week, or hosting events, tastings, or seasonal experiences. It doesn’t have to be complicated – just something memorable and considered.

More than just a shop

How about making your shop more than a shop, make it an experience, and have it aesthetically appealing: somewhere that people will want to share all over their socials that they have been, and do your promotion for you.

Think about your family offering – can you provide more of an experience/day out than just shopping?

It could be…

• A cafe or tea room to get people to stay longer and sample some of your food to encourage them to buy

• Animals for children to see (and ask their parents to go back to visit regularly!)

• Seasonal pick-your-own – flowers, berries, pumpkins

• Events, workshops or tastings

If people treat it as a destination rather than a quick stop, they will hopefully spend more and come back more often.

Make it easy to buy

This sounds obvious, but it’s often overlooked. If you’re posting a recipe on your blog or socials, can people easily find and pick up all of the ingredients they need when they come in? How about grouping them together on a promo stand so they can just grab and go?

Clear signage is also always helpful and removes obstacles for shoppers. If everything is easy to find and clearly priced, it eliminates the need for customers to think, or have to ask for assistance, making them far more likely to buy.

Use social media properly

Farm shops have a big advantage here: they’ve got endless genuinely good content. Showing fresh products, the process of making the goods on the bakery counter, insights into seasonal produce, recipes and ideas, the content is very shareable and tends to get good engagement from audiences.

Lay your marketing foundations

Before anything else, make sure the fundamentals are covered:

• Consistent, strong branding across everything

• A clear, up to date website, with product listings, opening times, about information and good local SEO so people can find you

• A well managed Google Business profile (helps with SEO and is great for customer reviews)

• Clear, on brand signage from the role

And make sure you are telling your story! Your customers value the story behind your shop: the farm, the family, the produce, so clearly tell them who you are, what you do, and why it’s different.

Keep customers coming back

Getting someone through the door is one thing, the next and most important part is to get them coming back regularly! Simple things make a big difference, for example getting them to sign up for email newsletters which can provide special offers, product announcements and recipes. Or even introducing loyalty cards and offers for returning customers, always goes down well in showing your appreciation for their custom!

Of course, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, but the farm shops that are doing well in 2026 are the ones that are clear about what they offer and why it’s different to everyone else, build strong relationships with their customers, and are a little more thoughtful about the experience they create.

If you’re looking for marketing support for your farm shop, get in touch – we’d love to discuss some ideas!!

As Harrogate Fashion Week celebrates its first birthday, we are happy to have supported them through their shows and success’, to which we delivered all online and offline marketing material.

Harrogate Fashion Week required a marketing strategy to increase the awareness of the trade show. This allowed the recognition of Harrogate Fashion Week within the UK trade fashion sector.